Friday, January 11, 2013

I was watching the press conference that introduced the PAP candidate for the coming Punggol East election:

As with many of the PAP men, he comes with almost impeccable credentials and speaks very well - in both English and Chinese. Dr. Koh is a cancer specialist with a practice in Mount Elisabeth, made it to commanding officer in combat battalion and served in the RC since 2003. He rose from a very humble background (son of bus driver) to the top of his profession.

"I still stay in my HDB flat" - Dr Koh Poh Koon

He didn't surprise us further by saying he takes the bus to Mount Elizabeth but it is hard to dislike this guy given his humility and apparent desire to serve the people. But if you watch the entire video, you quick see the what is so familiar among so many PAP men:

"Dr Koh said he and his family are proof of the success of Singapore's meritocratic system. Dr Koh said he is thankful that despite his humble background, he was able to attend medical school at the National University of Singapore and graduate as a doctor.

He was also given government scholarships to receive training at top centres in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Dr Koh worked for 14 years at Singapore General Hospital before setting up his own practice as a colorectal surgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Explaining why he decided to enter politics, Dr Koh said when he was called to serve, he felt "duty-bound to stand and be counted".

Dr Koh said he wants to help create the same opportunities to help other Singaporeans achieve their fullest potential." - Report in Today[Link].

He believes the system is good because he is able to succeed. There is no question that for people with talents, the top students and the scholarship holders, the system opens up numerous opportunities to achieve success. What Dr. Koh said is no different from what Tin Pei Ling said and what many other PAP candidates said when they were interviewed during the 2011 Election, the system is good because they are able to succeed and no major change is needed.

Therein lies the key difference between the PAP man and an equally capable opposition candidate. The opposition candidate looks beyond himself and his own experience to better appreciate what is going on in the system. Only the top 0.1% of the people have scholarships and get to same opportunities as Dr. Koh, more than two-thirds of every cohort does not get the chance to go to university to obtain a degree. 400,000 thousand workers have full time jobs but do not make enough to support themselves and their families. Singapore has the highest income gap in the developed world. Yet, you see PAP men and women, saying they want to get elected into parliament to serve but see no need for fundamental changes to the system.

On the same day Dr. Koh was introduced, the COE broke new records hitting $92K for small cars. Housing cost rose to the highest in our history. The middle-class comes under threat as the income gap balloons. Discontent is rising as cracks appear in the system that now needs an overhaul. The so-called meritocratic system is "meritocratic" and working only for a small number of people - the highly talented, the highly connected and the rich. The rest have to work harder to overcome the challenges the system produces - the rapidly rising cost of living and low wages at the bottom. The PAP has policies that consistently benefit those who already have the advantage causing the income gap to expand. As the PAP spends on tax cuts for the richest and allow businesses to import cheap labor abundantly, the burden of on those at the middle and bottom expanded over time. All systems are good for some of the people most of the time, But the we need a system is good for most of the people most of the time to broaden prosperity. To achieve that outcome we cannot elect another representative whose stated objective is to support and preserve the system because he and his family have benefited.

/// Explaining why he decided to enter politics, Dr Koh said whenhe was called to serve, he felt "duty-bound to stand and be counted". ///

My main issue with all PAP candidates is that they never want to serve Singaporeans voluntarily.It's always "I was asked to serve".

Asked by who?

I don't want people who feel duty bound to serve Singaporeans.I want people who want to serve Singaporeans ... period.These duty bound people owe their oath of loyalty to their masters who "called them to serve".Not to Singaporeans.

it's self selection and self-preservation, PAP style. No sensible party will admit someone into their ranks if he or she do not share the same philosophy. It's same shit different day. PAP philosophy belongs to a bygone era and they are totally oblivious, and full of hubris. Therefore, renewal will not come from within, it must be externally driven.

On the same day Dr. Koh was introduced, the COE broke new records hitting $92K for small cars. Housing cost rose to the highest in our history. The middle-class comes under threat as the income gap balloons. Discontent is rising as cracks appear in the system that now needs an overhaul. The so-called meritocratic system is "meritocratic" and working only for a small number of people - the highly talented, the highly connected and the rich. The rest have to work harder to overcome the challenges the system produces - the rapidly rising cost of living and low wages at the bottom. T

"The opposition is not united like the PAP." Well gee I don't know but the last time I checked "the opposition" was a term given to a range of different political parties with different ideologies and platforms. These parties are not even in an alliance. Maybe that has something to do with it?

Well said, Lucky, That is why to me all MIW and WIW are the same, all yes men and yes women seeing nothing wrong in the current system, singing the same tune and bootlicking their boses and saying things he likes to hear only. Dont know why they still want to 'serve' if they think everything is OK? To me, it is to gain more $$$ and fame.

I hope Punggol residents can see this and vote for someone who can really speak out for you.

"The PAP has policies that consistently benefit those who already have the advantage causing the income gap to expand. ....we need a system is good for most of the people most of the time to broaden prosperity. "

It is very obvious that the developers are the key beneficiaries here. How super fast it is to go from zero to billionaire? this ONLY happens in sg.

Building casinos to spur the economy, is that really genius? rembering the hypothesis that "when the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done."

However, to say that he succeeded on his own is clearly off the mark. He became a successful doctor in the government sector. This is a sector that was closed off to foreign competition in Singapore. He still works in a profession that is quite protected from foreign competition. I think Singaporeans can reasonably question if he would be able to empathize with those have faced stiff competition under the foreign talent policy.

It is quite telling that virtually all of PAP's candidates are doctors, lawyers and government scholars - people who benefit disproportionately from the system and yet are not fully exposed to disadvantages of the foreign talent policy.

Bulls-eye!!!During my generation, the benefits from the system was broad based. I was one of those that benefitted from the system. But I see that the system no longer produce broad based benefits. That is why I am helping the opposition.

PAP is using him as a "Son of Punggol" to challenge the local-born Singaporeans notion of birthright. If Punggol East votes him in, the PAP retains their dominance. If a non-PAP candidate is voted in, it is just ammunition for the PAP to say that being born here does not entitle one to benefits.

Dr Koh should remain where he was to serve the people. Being a doctor itself is a service to humanity without needing to join politics. If he choose to join PAP for reason of serving the interest of the people. He can spare us his craps because we know PAP did not live up to its mark in recent years. However, if he think becoming an MP can earn a little more income for his existing trade, I have nothing to say to him except to wish that opposition party capture Ponggol for the good of everyone.

"I remember when I finally got my HDB flat in 1988, just after I ORD from the army, my wife and I had to borrow money from my uncle to do renovations. You'd be surprised to know that at the end of the thing, before we moved into our house, in the combined accounts of our banks, in the pockets together, we had $11.50.

"We were scratching our heads thinking how to even have our first meal in the house when we had no money to buy chopsticks? We went down to Toyogo at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh and we had to count the number of pieces of chopsticks we can buy with $11.50 to equip our home."

Luckythe men on the streets say this: if Low TK is a good politician out to create a 2-party system and protect his people, he will resist working with the other parties. A 3-party of multi-party fight serves the WP well as follows: it will get PAP re-elected and a mandate to pursue even further the elitist policies and ignore urgent issues like transport housing healthcare, FT, foreign reserves, abuse of individual freedom and worsening corruption in the government. Like in the presidential race, the WP will sit back and see Singaporeans blame the other 2 Tans for giving the PAP the election, and WP thinks win or lose, a 3-party fight will strengthen the WP's credentials. The problem with this WP policy is that 2016 will not be the watershed year like 2013 will be for UMNO. WP will never have people and platform ready to replace the PAP. Just 3 months back, we saw in-fighting within WP of the worst kind. WP must step aside. Let someone else take on the PAP. Let Singaporeans have a choice besides the 2 -party system which has made things worse than before.

Of course Dr. Koh praise the PAP! What? You guys are expecting him to speak up against the party whose ticket he's running on? I' say that will be political suicide expect that his political career will be finish before it even started if he do that.

"Let me ask you. What is wrong to choose those who came above it all."

Simple answer: as long as these "above it all" folks deliver on issues of housing, healthcare, income inequality, transport, and increasingly corrupt top civil servants, excessive pay for civil servants, then I am ok. Do you see any problems in the above areas? If not, you have probably been smoking marijuana for too long, or you like to wear pink glasses for too long dude!

Dr Koh's intro sounds good and likeable but how much is true and how is hype?First I read somewhere that he was only 3-4 years old when his family moved from Punggol. At that tender age how much root, memory and Punggol spirit could he have brought with him to have deep feelings as a son of Punggol? How deep has his commitment to the PAP been when he was not even a party member until now when he was selected for the BE? In other words, was he engaged deeply in RC work since he joined in 2003, ie., did he volunteer hmself or was he volunteered because he was then a governtment servant and could not say "no"?

All PAP MP say they want to serve their constituents and take care of their problems. But few have said that they will try to help fix the root cause, which is the many poor policies in housing immigration, etc, through influence and vote in Parliament. They wouldn't and they can't.

If Dr Koh has such a strong sense to give back to society and help the people, why then did he not stay on in public hospital where he can help even more people especially of the lower classes instead of going into lucrative private practice where the big money is for cancer treatment. So Lucky is right - they all are the same when they become the "elites" in wealth and power. The really bright youths like him will somehow find their way to the top but it is the masses of common guys who most need help to level the playing field in order to move up too.

I agree that all systems no matter how badly crafted, benefitted some people. What we need is a system that benefit the majority of the people. I think HDB and COE are very anti families measures. Of cos, if PAP sells lemon, he will praise his lemon even if it is rotten and sour. Anyway, if this doctor wants to serve people, he would continue to work in SGH right? This world is just getting more sad each day especially if she is controlled by a bunch of money worshipping, LGBT, anti families people.

Firstly and foremost, is Dr Koh referring to himself personally or is it really true that he feels the meritocracy here is the only way to go? If it's the former, then it's just a circular route for Singapore. But if it's the latter, then we really need to ask ourselves this question: Is it high time for a static system to move forward?

The entire elitist attitude actually stems from the fact that there is only this many paths to success and those who fall through the cracks will more often than not unable to make it. If you have the aptitude and attitude, but yet without money and status, then you're still in a handicap. If your talents do not subscribe to the system, then you're worthless.

This is a social monster which not only affected the people upstairs, but above all every Singaporean as well, be it for the better or for worse.

If I want to give Dr Koh that benefit of doubt, I can easily say that he's just merely putting his foot into his mouth. And that's where I'm seeing the problem. The exact problem created by a static policy has came back to haunt the new generation of PAP politicians where their own brand of meritocracy is not much different from how we view the system, i.e. ability counts for secondary priority, not the first. It's either we agree with the direction or we don't. It's just that simple.

Ultimately, what is truly important for the BE is this: Dr Koh has to foot the responsibility for his words. Either he can prove his own words to be wrong or he will end up walking on thin ice. I've seen the news and while the Opposition are seemingly in shambles, it will take a fool to believe the smokescreen being created by them.

The govt should go back to its original aim of providing basic housing to citizens thro HDB flats. Those who own private property should not be allowed to own HDB f. If this Dr koh owns private properties but stays in a HDB flat, it is very wrong of him. It would make a mockery of saying like what every PAP candidate says. ...... ' I want to give back to society ' . Being a surgeon in private practice, it is not possible that he does not own private properties.

I agree with the comments from Fox due to the fact that the ppl who generally benefitted seems to be from those sectors that has seen little foreign competition.

Perhaps he can help to clarify why he left a public hospital to set up his own private practise at Mount E which ostensibly caters only to the rich and famous. With the recent case regarding Susan Lim, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

U r spot on again. These papists are selfish. They just don't know how to see things from the perspective of the suffering average Singaporeans. This is why the pap is finished - cut off from the vast majority of Singaporeans. Too elitist.

Compared to our former foreign minister who could have better served Singapore if not defeated in the last election, the humble background of this candidate has become insignificant. I think we not only need a co-driver but a team of co-drivers to chart our future....

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian opposition supporters gathered by the thousands in the capital on Saturday to call for the ouster of the country's long-ruling government in elections due within months.

Followers of the three-party alliance led by opposition firebrand Anwar Ibrahim streamed through the capital Kuala Lumpur to converge on an iconic stadium where the current ruling bloc declared independence in 1957.

"Our government is so corrupt. The government should listen to us. They need to reform. For more than 50 years they have ruled Malaysia," said rally participant Azlan Abu Bakar, 29, who travelled from the eastern state of Terengganu for the gathering.

/// Explaining why he decided to enter politics, Dr Koh said whenhe was called to serve, he felt "duty-bound to stand and be counted". ///

Doctor, doctor.In the first few days;When you were walking around with Teo Ser Luck holding your hands;You refused to confirm whether you were going to stand for office.So obviously you are not your own man.

You must wait for Uncle Lee to say, ok, before you dare to serve your fellow Singaporeans.So without Uncle Lee's permission;you will not serve Singaporeans ... correct?

Only when Uncle Lee says ok, then you dare to allow yourself to feel "duty bound to stand and be counted."In other words, you will do as you are told.If like this, then will you also just be very quiet when Singapore assets in your SMC is being sold off to $2 companies?

If yes, then why should I vote for you?There are so many clones-in-white;all sitting quietly & obediently in the parliament already.Pay you money just to do the same thing is it?

My dog is also very quiet & obedient.And he is a lot cheaper to maintain than you will be in parliament.

So Sinkies.Please vote for my dog hor.Same quite obedience as a PAP MP.But a lot cheaper to maintain.

He stays in HDB but that does not mean he does not own private properties and renting them out to earn extra money.

He takes public bus but that does not mean he does not have a car which maybe the wife uses to pick up the kids to/from school.

Perhaps, he thinks it is very good and easy money to be MP just by working one evening a week and gets paid $15k a month. Much higher per hour rate than any surgeon can command in any hospital. Maybe he is not so different from all the other money worshippers in his party.

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